TR East-Manchester game story
by BY STEVEN FALKSTAFF WRITER
TOMS RIVER … This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Toms River East.
""There is no such thing as losing here,'' said senior second baseman Sean Gavin, who is a three-year starter and one of four returning starters from last year's NJSIAA South Jersey Group IV championship team.
This year's Raiders' team is 19-5 after Monday's 7-4 win over Manchester in an Ocean County Tournament semifinal game at Toms River South's Ken Frank Baseball Stadium that puts them in Wednesday's 7 p.m. OCT championship game at FirstEnergy Park.
Toms River East will be seeking its eighth OCT championship, third in a row and fourth in the last four times it has participated in the tournament. The Toms River Regional schools did not enter the tournament in 2004.
The reason people felt Toms River East might be in a rebuilding mode this year is because Casey Gaynor, the Shore Conference's all-time winningiest pitcher for a career with 34, is now at Rutgers University. Also, No. 2 pitcher Adam Ponaski graduated.
""All the seniors expect to win. I think the underclassmen do, too,'' said Gavin, whose two-run double in the second inning capped a four-run rally and gave the Raiders the lead for good at 4-2.
""Coach (Toms River East coach Bill Frank) always says, we don't rebuild here, we just reload,'' said senior right-hander John Lightbody, who pitched two innings of one-hit ball in relief of starter Pete Fitzsimmons to pick up his third save of the season. ""We're just trying to keep the tradition going.
The cupboard was not exactly bare for Toms River East heading into this season. Its junior varsity team last year, which included Fitzsimmons and Lightbody, went 25-1 last year.
""I didn't really know what to expect,'' said Frank, who is the Shore's fourth all-time winningiest baseball coach with 431. ""But, you know what: These kids know how to win. They've been in a winning program.
""Winning is contagious. I've always said that. It's contagious here at East.''
The Raiders found a way yesterday in a game in which both teams had opportunities in every inning.
Fitzsimmons, a junior left-hander, fought his way through five-plus innings to pick up his sixth win of the season. His big moment came when he got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third with a strikeout and a pop-up to first.
The Raiders also turned two double plays including a 3-6-3 twin-killing to end the game.
They also received RBI singles by Frank DeHart (who is 6-for-his last 8) and John Smicklo and a run-scoring double by Bryan Frank in addition to Gavin's two-run double.
Manchester (13-5), which was appearing in its first OCT semifinal since 2003, had the leadoff man reach base in every inning, but left nine men on.
""We had opportunities to knock their pitcher out of the game and break the game open and we did not,'' said Manchester coach John Musolf.
TOMS RIVER … This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Toms River East.
""There is no such thing as losing here,'' said senior second baseman Sean Gavin, who is a three-year starter and one of four returning starters from last year's NJSIAA South Jersey Group IV championship team.
This year's Raiders' team is 19-5 after Monday's 7-4 win over Manchester in an Ocean County Tournament semifinal game at Toms River South's Ken Frank Baseball Stadium that puts them in Wednesday's 7 p.m. OCT championship game at FirstEnergy Park.
Toms River East will be seeking its eighth OCT championship, third in a row and fourth in the last four times it has participated in the tournament. The Toms River Regional schools did not enter the tournament in 2004.
The reason people felt Toms River East might be in a rebuilding mode this year is because Casey Gaynor, the Shore Conference's all-time winningiest pitcher for a career with 34, is now at Rutgers University. Also, No. 2 pitcher Adam Ponaski graduated.
""All the seniors expect to win. I think the underclassmen do, too,'' said Gavin, whose two-run double in the second inning capped a four-run rally and gave the Raiders the lead for good at 4-2.
""Coach (Toms River East coach Bill Frank) always says, we don't rebuild here, we just reload,'' said senior right-hander John Lightbody, who pitched two innings of one-hit ball in relief of starter Pete Fitzsimmons to pick up his third save of the season. ""We're just trying to keep the tradition going.
The cupboard was not exactly bare for Toms River East heading into this season. Its junior varsity team last year, which included Fitzsimmons and Lightbody, went 25-1 last year.
""I didn't really know what to expect,'' said Frank, who is the Shore's fourth all-time winningiest baseball coach with 431. ""But, you know what: These kids know how to win. They've been in a winning program.
""Winning is contagious. I've always said that. It's contagious here at East.''
The Raiders found a way yesterday in a game in which both teams had opportunities in every inning.
Fitzsimmons, a junior left-hander, fought his way through five-plus innings to pick up his sixth win of the season. His big moment came when he got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third with a strikeout and a pop-up to first.
The Raiders also turned two double plays including a 3-6-3 twin-killing to end the game.
They also received RBI singles by Frank DeHart (who is 6-for-his last 8) and John Smicklo and a run-scoring double by Bryan Frank in addition to Gavin's two-run double.
Manchester (13-5), which was appearing in its first OCT semifinal since 2003, had the leadoff man reach base in every inning, but left nine men on.
""We had opportunities to knock their pitcher out of the game and break the game open and we did not,'' said Manchester coach John Musolf.
posted by Tony Graham at 8:39 PM
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